A rally in opposition to proposed position cuts at Colorado State University-Pueblo has been scheduled for noon Thursday at the Sister Cities Plaza.

Confusion over the possibility of the school cutting 50 positions to make up for an estimated $3.3 million deficit is setting in as local and state leaders and the community are calling on CSU System Chancellor Michael Martin to give the university more time before the final decision for cuts is made Friday.

About 150 people gathered at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library on Saturday for a community forum held by faculty members.

CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare, who attended the forum, said she is meeting with Martin on Wednesday to again ask for more time.

“We have asked to expand the timeline. It hasn’t been met with enthusiasm so we will continue to go back and ask the chancellor and the (CSU System) board of governors,” Di Mare said.

City Council President Steve Nawrocki said the city will work with CSU-Pueblo in any way that it can.

Nawrocki said cutting positions should be the last option.

“That’s the easiest thing to do is to lay people off and get rid of them, so you have to think a little bit outside of the box. We are 100 percent behind this university and we will do whatever we can to support you to get through this,” Nawrocki said.

Sandy Gutierrez, president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, wants to schedule a meeting with Martin in Pueblo to answer questions.

“These directives, as I understand, are coming from a higher level and I think that we need to engage in a conversation as a community with those individuals that are directing those challenges to our community,” Gutierrez said.

She said the decision for the proposed cuts is too critical for the university and the community as a whole in such a short amount of time.

Several audience members agreed.

State Rep. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, told the lively crowd that he would take the issue to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office Monday.

“It’s a complicated situation,” Crowder said.

Crowder said he would like to draft a letter to Martin asking for more time.

“Southern Colorado is treated like a stepchild. We need to shout louder up there for what we want,” Crowder said. “CSU-Pueblo has been a very viable partner for the community of Pueblo.”

Some audience members said finger pointing at this stage in the process would not help. Some said asking for more time should be a priority.

CSU-Pueblo Professor Fawn Amber Montoya, moderator of the forum, was emotional as she spoke about how the news of the cuts came to faculty members.

She and several other professors expressed frustration and questioned the accuracy of the deficit numbers presented by Martin. They also called for more transparency.

Professors also said they are fighting for Pueblo and are tired of the disconnect from Denver to the south.